Pikmin
© 2001 Nintendo of America
Note: See Pikmin 2, released August 2004. Poor Captain Olimar has crash-landed on a strange new planet. He must locate his spaceship's pieces which have been scattered over the planet's surface. The Captain, who is without a crew, is happy to discover little sprout-like soldiers called Pikmin, who ultimately help him carry the heavy pieces of the ship and fight off enemies. Players help Olimar give orders to the Pikmin, telling them when to move obstacles, for instance, or ordering the creatures to build bridges to gain access to a new part of the planet. Logical thinking comes into play as soon as kids learn that Pikmin offer different skills according to their color. Blue Pikmin like water and know how to swim, while Flower Pikmin are particularly speedy. The planet enemies can be quite ferocious, and kids will have to defeat monsters in both the air and water. The biggest challenges include learning the sometimes complex controls and completing tasks within the time limitations. All things considered, kids who like strategy games will enjoy the challenge, and reviewers found the theme refreshing and relatively nonviolent.
$49.95, GameCube
Teaches: strategy, problem solving